Graffiti, including the words Irish only, was daubed on the home of a 72-year-old woman living alone in a Co Derry village - an attack branded a hate crime by police.
The property was one of three targeted in Ballykelly in the early hours of Tuesday, all sprayed with either ‘Irish first’ or ‘Irish only’.
Two houses were spray painted with references to the Quran, the key religious text of the Islamic faith, including the one where the elderly woman is living. Quran was spelled wrong.
It is understood another property is occupied by a couple not originally from a different cultural background while a young family lives in the third house.
The elderly woman was left distressed following the criminal damage caused to her home, which covered the walls and the windows, said her daughter, who did not want to be named as she also lives in the village.
The elderly woman lived in the UK for 35 years, mostly in Scotland, before moving to the north and has never experienced such actions like this before, said the daughter, who lives nearby.
“It was traumatising being indoors at the time,” she said, adding that her mother does stay overnight with her a lot.
Local representatives, the police, council officials and the landlord worked to have the graffiti removed as soon as possible on Wednesday, the woman said.
“It was attracting so much attention, becoming like a local attraction and possibly giving more of an option to target again,”
Police in Limavady are investigating the criminal damage caused to three properties in Fort Drive and Forest Drive, a PSNI spokesperson said. Detectives described the graffiti as “racist”.
“We are treating these reports as not only criminal damage, but as hate crimes which are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our local community. Hate crime has no place in our society whatsoever and we will be proactive in our approach to identify those involved,” a spokesman said.
“We are appealing to anyone who might have been in the areas during the times mentioned and who has information which may assist us to contact officers.” The public can also contact Crimestoppers.
Councillor Dermot Nicholl, who represents Ballykelly on Causeway Coast and Glens Council, said such an incident has never happened before in the village and that it is “strange” it has occurred now.
“It has taken people as a bit of a shock. I would love to know their rationale, what’s it about. We are fully integrated in our community. It is is a quiet area and this is an utter disgrace,” said Mr Nicholl, adding he believes those who did this are picking their ideas up from elsewhere, including online.
The daughter of the elderly woman, referencing Quran, which was spelled ‘Quarn’, added: “Surprised they had this much interest and knowledge to be aware what the Quran means to a Muslim.
“People like these probably don’t know how to spell respect either.”
